Recent Work: EL REY Network

It’s been a while since I share some personal work, and since January is all about resolutions, goals and new starts, I figured it would be a good idea to share a great project I had the pleasure and fortune of working on recently… It all started with a phone call, you know, the ones that simply happen when you least expect it and that in a matter of seconds not only capture your complete attention, but also manage to get your creativity going crazy. Well, I recently received one of those phone calls asking me if I would be interested in working on a secret cool project for a very well known Hollywood client. After a couple of details and without thinking twice, I immediately accepted and began sketching ideas. The challenge: Hollywood Director Robert Rodriguez and his newest and ambitious television project, EL REY Network.

One of the many perks of working on personal and freelance projects is that you get to pick what you want to work on and who your clients are. No two jobs are alike, and the challenges and freedom to come up with different ideas and solutions is what makes me love this field and everything I do. As a Designer, there are some fun projects you always look forward to working on like posters, music bands/albums, film or TV. And this project was definitely one of those cool jobs! It required not only some creativity and Design, but also a combination of different styles, ideas, executions, techniques, pop culture, movies, music, Hollywood and of course, some Robert Rodriguez magic.

If you’ve been living under a rock and still scratching your head, not sure who Robert Rodriguez is, just think of classic titles like Machete, Sin City, Grindhouse, Desperado… yup, he’s the Director behind all these movies and many more. Oh, and he is also the founder of a new television Network, featuring 24-hour programming ranging from series, sports, music and badassness. I figured this video would explain things better:

I was asked to design concepts for the network’s branding, graphic treatments, visual tone, on-air graphics and many other applications. Being that the network was still in development status and had not been officially released yet, finding assets or guidelines was pretty much impossible – yet good, since it meant I had a lot more freedom to study and interpret the network’s vision, and execute based on my ideas and suggestions. What I am sharing today is some of the work done (sorry, can’t show it all) ranging from logo tweaks and suggestions to on-air visuals, UIs and animation design.

As a kid, I remember loving movie titles, movie posters, TV shows intros, music videos and always thinking “I would’ve done this or that…” So when this project came along, it was special from day one. Although I constantly work with great television networks I love like Univision in Miami and CBS in New York, this one felt special because it was more of an in-your-face brand, because it involved a major Director I’ve always admired and because it was a little more…. Hollywood. I went crazy on concepts and executions and after all the days and hard work, I was extremely satisfied, happy and grateful for this experience. Now, let’s hope you like the work :)

A huge thank you to everyone involved in this project (Jorge, and specially you Alfredo!!) for considering, trusting and believing in me and my work. It means more than you can imagine. Thank you!